Woelk: Confidence not lacking in Buffaloes

Neill WoelkCamera Sports Writer

Posted:
08/08/2010 12:01:05 AM MDT

Neill Woelk

To a man, the Colorado Buffaloes say they`re tired of losing.

No surprise there. There`s not a player on the roster who has finished a season in Boulder with more victories than losses. Live through that kind of stretch, and any competitive athlete worth his salt is bound to be just a little fed up with the whole thing.

But it`s one thing to say you`re tired of losing and something totally different to actually do something about it.

You`d better have the players to back it up and the mentality to match. It may sound counter-intuitive, but if you want to cure a long stretch of losing, you need a little swagger to your step to go with that chip on your shoulder.

The players on Dan Hawkins` fifth CU team believe they have that combination.

Again, easy to say. You wouldn`t expect Smith to say anything else.But the look in Smith`s eye suggests there`s something different with this year`s team. The young man who is quick to flash a smile shows no sign of even the slightest grin when discussing what`s ahead for the Buffs.

Smith -- one of the best players on CU`s team and one of the best players in the Big 12 -- is very, very serious about his fifth and final season in Boulder.

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He`s done his best to make sure his teammates view it the same way.

"This is the first time since I`ve been here that there`s a little swagger," Smith said. "We have some confidence. You can look around and know that we have good players everywhere.

"Last year people said we were supposed to be improved and we maybe just thought it would happen. This year ... this year we`re working to make sure it happens. Anyone who saw our 7-on-7s this summer, anyone who saw us out there competing knows we have the players."

Already, Hawkins has noticed the difference in this year`s team. It`s nothing he can quantify, but what Hawkins calls "a little extra juice" is no doubt present.

"It`s a good thing," Hawkins said. "You look at the older guys we`ve got out there and they`ve gone through a lot, personally and as a team. Injuries, close losses -- all those things.

"To accomplish anything great, I think there has to be a little extra juice, that motivation that drives you. I do think our team is there. I think everything these guys have been through has provided a little bit of that chip on their shoulders."

Certainly last season`s 3-9 record provided plenty of ammunition in that department. From the opening loss to Colorado State to the season-ending defeat to Nebraska -- both at Folsom Field -- 2009 proved to be a long, long season for the Buffs.

"This team definitely has that chip on our shoulders," said quarterback Tyler Hansen. "You know that thing that Hawk keeps saying about being 'this close?`

"Now we`re fed up with losing. Sick of it. And this year, we`ve got players everywhere to make a difference. We`ve got the guys to do something special."

The Buffs do indeed have the players to make a difference. As the Buffs gathered for lunch on Saturday, one CU football staffer looked around the room and noted that "there are more NFL-caliber guys in here than we`ve had in a long time."

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